Best Free VPN Apps for iPhone – Safest iPhone VPNs
iPhones are without doubt one of the most popular mobile options around the world. Almost every year, a new iPhone model is released that improves on some of the most popular features, and everyone raves about it for good reason. As the number of models increases, so do the apps available to iPhone users.
The number of Virtual Private Network (VPN) apps has skyrocketed in recent years so it can be difficult to find the best free VPN apps for iPhone. There are so many out there, it can be a challenge to know which one is best for your model of iPhone, especially considering how rapidly new models are released.
This article is a complete guide on the best VPN apps for iPhones with a focus on the best VPNs, the completely free VPNs, and risk-free VPNs that will benefit iPhone users. If you’re open to paying for a VPN then make sure you take a look at our page on the best VPN for iPhone, or explore one of the top VPN options right now.
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What is a VPN, and how does it work?
A VPN is a network of servers and devices that allows users to access content on the internet with more privacy and security, while also getting around content restrictions and censorship. If you want to bypass firewalls and geo-blocking, then a VPN is exactly what you need. So, how does a VPN work?
VPNs work by establishing a connection between your device and a server on the network. Like a tunnel, the traffic on your device is sent through the server, which makes it seem like you are at its location. This is because you’ll be using the IP address of the server. Therefore, if you are connected to a Canadian server, you’ll be given a Canadian IP address to access the internet.
After downloading a VPN on your device, you can connect to any of the service’s servers in the world.
Why do iPhone users need VPNs?
iPhones are less vulnerable to viruses and malware than their competitors. The security standard on these devices seems to be top-notch, and in reality, it is far better than that of other devices.
But apart from the privilege VPNs give to access restricted content in a country, they also help to strengthen the security of the device. By encrypting your traffic and hiding your IP address from prying eyes, a VPN ensures that your online data stays private. And for the iPhone that experiences bugs from time to time, its best to be sure that your privacy is guaranteed.
Do free VPN apps work with iPhone?
To simply answer the question, free VPNs mostly do not work on iPhones. When a company puts a ‘free’ tag on software, there are usually undercover means they intend to use to get their money back. That’s the catch! So, instead of opting for free VPNs for your iPhone, we recommend you use the paid ones with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Best risk-free VPNs to use on an iPhone
Here are the best risk-free VPNs that you can use on your iPhone with ease.
ExpressVPN
Features
- Number of servers: More than 3,000
- Speeds: Unlimited
- Server locations: 160 in 105 countries
- Maximum devices supported: 5
- 24 live chat: Yes
- 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
Pros/Cons
- Fastest VPN out there
- Strict no logs policy
- 256-bit AES encryption
- Few discounts
ExpressVPN is one of the most popular risk-free VPNs among iPhone users, and you don’t have to overthink to find out why. The service has impressive statistics to show for itself, with 160 server locations in 94 countries around the globe. This makes it very easy to connect your iPhone to access any content you want. The service permits up to five simultaneous devices on one account, which is a good number to boast about.
On its speed and bandwidth capacity, ExpressVPN does exceedingly well. It has a built-in test feature that keeps you updated on the servers’ speed while you send your traffic through it. With this feature, you don’t need to guess how fast your server is going and whether you need to switch to a different one or not. Like you would expect, ExpressVPN has unlimited bandwidth to download and stream as much content as you would like from your iPhone. It is also pretty good at bypassing throttling and buffering.
Concerning its privacy and anonymity on iPhones, ExpressVPN uses Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)-256, which is one of the best you can lay your hands on these days. With this service, you’ll also be assured that your iPhone’s data is never tracked, monitored, or backed up on any drive while you browse the internet. The kill switch feature makes sure of that. And if you are new to VPNs, a step-by-step tutorial on how to browse anonymously is included for you.
ExpressVPN has a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you’ll be getting most of its amazing features risk-free. This affordable VPN service beats free VPNs by several miles. Read our ExpressVPN review.
- Pros: Fastest VPN out there; Strict no logs policy; 256-bit AES encryption;
- Lowest price: $6.67
NordVPN
Features
- Cryptocurrency accepted? Yes
- Simultaneous connections: 6
- Dedicated IP-addresses? Yes
- Servers: 7,000+ in 111 countries
Pros/Cons
- Lots of pricing options
- Netflix support kept up to date
- 256-bit AES encryption
- Slow app
Our second risk-free VPN service for iPhone is NordVPN. It is just as good as ExpressVPN, with a few tricks up its sleeve as well. It has an impressive 5134 servers in 59 countries, so you’ll have lots of options when using this service provider. NordVPN allows six simultaneous devices on an account, which makes it more flexible than most other VPNs.
On its privacy and anonymity features, NordVPN operates a no-log policy to ensure that your online data is secured at all times. The VPN service has an automatic kill switch and a DNS leak protection, so when your connection drops, you are still covered. And what’s best is that the new Onion Over VPN feature included all but guarantees no data breach. NordVPN runs on AES-256 encryption, the military-grade that you’ll expect it to use.
On its speed, the service and its servers work on the speed of light. These servers support P2P file sharing, although you’ll be able to share files with other iPhone users only. The service has included another feature in DoubleVPN, so your data runs through not one, but two servers. Talk about double protection from attacks!
Like ExpressVPN, NordVPN is quite affordable. With its 30-day money-back guarantee, NordVPN is another VPN you should give a trial. Read our NordVPN review.
- Pros: Lots of pricing options; Netflix support kept up to date; 256-bit AES encryption;
- Lowest price: $3.71
Best Completely Free VPN apps for iPhone
Apart from the risk-free VPNs we have highlighted above, there are a couple of others that are completely free.
ProtonVPN
Features
- P2P support? Yes
- 30-day money-back guarantee? Yes
- Country of origin? Switzerland
- Servers: 600+ in over 40 countries
- Simultaneous devices: 5
Pros/Cons
- Professional support
- Modern interface and apps
- AES-256 encryption
- Lesser known provider
ProtonVPN has four plans you can select from – free, basic, plus, and visionary. The most expensive (Visionary) costs $24 per month but is the complete package you’ll want from a VPN service. The most astonishing figure is that on this plan, you can have as many as ten devices linked to a single account.
However, apart from this subscription plan, you’ll also have a ProtonVPN plan that is entirely free. However, you are limited to only one iPhone connection at a time, and servers in only three countries. The speed of this VPN subscription plan is average.
ProtonVPN’s free plan includes all the privacy and security features you need on your device. Even though it doesn’t have a secure core or secure streaming, you still have AES-256 encryption to protect your data. The service works on a user-friendly interface and runs smoothly on your iPhone. It is one of the most reliable free VPNs you can find. Read our ProtonVPN review.
- Pros: Professional support; Modern interface and apps; AES-256 encryption;
- Lowest price: €4
Hideme
Features
- Number of servers: 2000+
- Server locations: 75 locations
- Maximum devices supported: 10
- 24 live chat: Yes
- 30 day money back guarantee: Yes
Pros/Cons
- Has free option
- No log policy
- Secure connection
- Not very cheap
Hide.me is another free provider you can use on your iPhone. This service is primarily a paid one. However, users get 10GB data limit to expend on the service each month. This is great for several reasons. The first is that you get to renew this offer indefinitely. Furthermore, while on the free service, you access the full features the VPN provider has. Thus, there’ll be no difference between you and a paid subscriber.
Some of the features you get on Hide.me include its 1900 servers in multiple locations. The servers are stationed in Asia, Europe, and the Americas. However, on the free service, you get access to 5 of the servers. Connecting to any of the servers grants you a new location of your choosing. It also allows you to stream restricted content without hitches. Of course, the 10GB of data may not be a lot, but you could effectively manage it.
Hide.me does not slack when it comes to security. iPhones are well-regarded in terms of security and privacy. However, additional security features do not hurt. Hence, with Hide.me, you stay protected with the AES 256-bit encryption model. In addition, the provider supports secure protocols, has an IP leak prevention mechanism, a kill switch, amongst others.
You will be able to use just one iPhone on the free version. However, you will still get customer support if you run into any challenges. In addition, the setup, download, and installation of the VPN is very easy. Read our Hide.Me review.
- Pros: Has free option; No log policy; Secure connection;
- Lowest price: €4.99
TrustZone
Features
- Complete anonymity? Yes
- Unblocking of all websites? Yes
- Pricing options: 4
- Servers: 164 in 80+ zones
- Free trial: Yes
Pros/Cons
- Military grade encryption
- Bitcoin accepted
- App for mobile devices
- Lesser known provider
The second free VPN that you can use on your iPhone is Trust.Zone. The service is based in Seychelles, which is outside the 14 eye zones. Therefore, you can be assured that your private information is not going to get into the wrong hands. It has 156 servers in 87 zones (35 countries), which is more than a decent amount for a VPN service.
On its anonymity and privacy features, Trust.Zone does a pretty good job. It prevents your internet service provider (ISP) from tracking you whenever you browse on the internet. The service also uses OpenVPN and L2TP encryption to ensure iPhone users get the most secure connection. After carrying out speed tests, we can confirm that Trust.Zone offers unlimited bandwidth and speed. P2P traffic is not restricted on this VPN service, unlike many others.
The only downside to Trust.Zone is that it is only available completely free for three days. After this period, you’ll have to pick a subscription plan to continue enjoying the features of this VPN.
- Pros: Military grade encryption; Bitcoin accepted; App for mobile devices;
- Lowest price: €3
HotspotShield
Features
- Unlimited data? Yes
- Simultaneous connections: 5
- Military grade encryption? Yes
- Servers: Over 3200 in 80+ countries
Pros/Cons
- Unlimited HD streaming
- Blocks malware
- 256-bit AES encryption
- Unreliable support
Another VPN service that has a completely free subscription is Hotspot Shield. This is the cheaper of the two plans, with the premium subscription going for only €7,99 per month. On this premium plan, you’ll have military-grade encryption, unlimited bandwidth, and over 3200 servers around the world. However, its free plan has quite some exciting features as well. It offers about 500MB of daily free data.
The same military-grade encryption for premium subscriptions is available on the free plan. But the most fantastic thing is that Hotspot Shield free plan runs on its own VPN protocol called Hydra. Hydra protects you from more than 57 million sites that are known to host viruses and phishing scams. This makes the free VPN service one of the fastest on the planet, and there are no strings attached!
Hotspot Shield has apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and an extension for Chrome. This means that you can easily download and use it for your iPhone and other devices. Unfortunately, you will be unable to connect more than one device to an account when you are using the free version. However, its support center is always open to receive complaints from users and resolving them swiftly.
- Pros: Unlimited HD streaming; Blocks malware; 256-bit AES encryption;
- Lowest price: $6.99
Windscribe
Features
- Browser extension? Yes
- Pricing options: 3
- Free trial: No
- Unblocking of all websites? Yes
- Locations: Servers in 60 countries
Pros/Cons
- Military grade encryption
- Available on all major platforms
- App for mobile devices
- Lesser known provider
The last free VPN you can use on your iPhone is Windscribe. With it, you can unblock geographically restricted content, and completely protect yourself from leaks. On this service, you get 10GB of data for a month, which you can use to connect to servers in more than ten countries around the world.
Windscribe uses AES-256 cipher encryption. This is the same level of encryption used by the United States military and makes sure your data is virtually uncrackable. You also get to choose from either WireGuard, IKEv2, and OpenVPN protocols. This provider also sports a split tunneling feature that routes your network through its servers and your regular ISP-provided network. In addition, Windscribe does not retain logs of users’ activities on its service.
Windscribe has an intuitive user interface. Hence, downloading the VPN and setting up an account is pretty straightforward. It is as fast as you would expect from a VPN service. Hence, you will experience zero buffering or lags on the service. The provider’s customer care team responds to queries swiftly, attending to concerns generated through its live chats. Read more about this VPN provider on our Windscribe review page.
- Pros: Military grade encryption; Available on all major platforms; App for mobile devices;
- Lowest price: $4.08
Are VPNs legal and safe to use?
VPNs are quite safe, as long as you use one of high quality. This is the catch. However, most services that guarantee a no-log policy actually fulfill their end of the bargain.
On the other hand, VPNs are legal for security and online privacy. In fact, a lot of businesses use VPNs in their daily activities. However, there are a few countries like North Korea and the United Arab Emirates where VPNs are not allowed because they give access to everything on the internet.
In some other countries like China, no hard and fast rule says you should not use a VPN on your iPhone. The government instead sees it as a way to bypass its laws on internet usage, and so regulates how VPNs should be used. And out of all the good things you can use a VPN for, there are still malicious acts people do with them. These include;
- Hacking: Steel can be used to make buildings and bridges but also guns and tanks. This is how VPNs and encryption codes are as well, with their advantages and disadvantages. In the case of VPNs, using them to hack computers and networks is illegal.
- Cyberbullying and stalking: The anonymity feature of VPNs has made people think they can bully and stalk others in cyberspace. This is not what VPNs were made for, and it is an abuse of its use.
- Trading on the Dark Web: Many countries in the world have marked the Dark Web as a prohibited sphere on the internet. However, people use VPNs to buy and sell drugs on the dark web. This is an illegal way of using VPNs.
How do you set up a VPN on your iPhone?
The VPN service you’ll be connected to plays a vital role in how the VPN is set up. Most providers offer simple installation guidelines to help their users. Here is the general outline for any VPN.
- Select a trustworthy and excellent VPN service to use. Any of the ones we have included should work fine with any iPhone model.
- After subscribing to a plan, download the application on your iPhone or install its browser extension.
- Once the VPN has been installed, log in to the service with your credentials.
- Connect to a server and start surfing the internet.
Red Flags to Watch out for when choosing a VPN
A couple of things to be wary of when you decide to select a VPN include;
- Bandwidth and speed limitations: The essence of a VPN is to provide you with the freedom to stream and browse all you want. Speed and bandwidth limitations make this more difficult to do. Therefore, don’t go for a VPN that will restrict you.
- Data Logging: A VPN should not keep logs of your activity or data. Anyone that does this should be crossed out of your list of the best VPNs to use.
- Limited customer support: When using a VPN, everything should go smoothly. However, we know this is not always the case, and once in a while, you’ll probably need help to get a couple of things done. In such situations having reachable customer support can make all the difference. Ensure that your VPN service provider has a contact team in case something goes wrong.
- Poor Encryption: AES-256 is the industry-standard encryption for VPNs. However, the protocols used can play a massive role in your internet security and privacy. Any VPN that lacks proper encryption or uses weak protocols is no good to you.
- Presence of Ads: Unsolicited adverts are a sign that your data is being logged. Therefore, avoid VPNs that bombard you with unsolicited adverts.
- Limitations on the number of servers: The more servers available, the better for you. Therefore, always rank a VPN service that has more servers higher than others that do not.
- Lack of Money-back guarantee: It’s a sign of goodwill if a VPN service can assure you that you’ll get your money back if you are not satisfied with the service.
How much does a VPN service cost?
A VPN service costs about the same price across all devices but we have highlighted many of these details on our VPN price comparison page. They cost as little as $2 to $5 per month but can get as much as $10 to $25 per month. The more expensive service providers usually offer you more servers, features, cross-platform compatibility, and other extra services.
Many VPNs offer a decent discount that cost about $3 per month, or a free trial. And for longer subscriptions, the cost is significantly reduced.
Free vs. Paid VPNs
The choice is really up to you and is dependent on what you intend to use the VPN for. The major setback of a paid VPN is embedded in itself in that you have to pay for a service where you could have gotten most of the features for free.
For free VPNs, there is no guarantee that you’ll not spot any of the red flags about them. Moreover, many free servers have IP addresses that have been blocked on many sites because of how spammers and hackers have abused them. Free VPNs also do not have as many servers as paid VPNs.
Considering the added features, advantages, and relatively low price of paid VPNs, we recommend you go for them instead.
In Conclusion
iPhone users are not excluded from the use of VPNs to strengthen their online security and privacy. In fact, with the number of bugs that affect iPhones, VPNs may just be the solution.
We’ve included the best free and risk-free VPNs you can use to surf and stream the internet. There’s also a list of the red flags you should avoid when selecting a VPN. With these, you have all you need to strengthen your internet connection and access any geo-restricted site you wish.
FAQ
What is the best free VPN app for iPhone?
There is no single “best free VPN app for iPhone”. Each free VPN comes with pros and cons. Your best bet is to find a VPN that suits your specific needs and then do research on whether or not that VPN is trustworthy by reading up on a reputable site such as TechShielder.
Are there any truly free VPNs for iPhone?
ProtonVPN is a VPN that is truly free and functions for iOS, meaning that it will work on the iPhone as an app, absolutely free, for an unlimited usage period. While it’s definitely free, it does have some drawbacks when compared to the best paid VPNs, so it’s definitely worth exploring when looking at what you’d like to use a VPN for.
What is the #1 free VPN?
This answer will change depending on what you’d like to use a VPN for. Some VPNs are faster, some have better server locations, and some don’t even have apps that work on iPhone. It’s always best to conduct research and find an app that suits your needs.
Does iPhone have a built-in VPN?
iPhones do not have a built-in VPN client, and neither do any other Apple devices. Users who are looking for complete privacy and security would need to install a third-party VPN such as ExpressVPN or something similar in order to fully protect themselves online.